with governor romney campaigning in ohio this week. senator, it's great to see you. >> good morning, glad to be with you. >> kentucky is i think safe, and i'm from cincinnati and i would imagine that southern ohio is safe and that the work that romney has to do is probably as you go north, it gets harder and harder. is that the case in ohio? >> well, you know, i think in kentucky we've got it pretty well sewn up. ohio is more difficult. but, you know, in 2010, rob portman wins by 18 points, kasich wins for governor, they win the statehouse and the state senate and 10 out of 18 congressional seats and i'm hard-pressed to know how it's different in 2012 than it was in 2010. i think most of the polling is modeling, you know, 2008, and i think it's going to be closer to 2010 than it's going to be to 2008. >> senator, do you think for the votes that romney needs to get in ohio, is it -- does it help him to seem more conservative and get your support and it's, like, some of the conservatives say, wow, i like romney now because rand paul is associating himself with him, or does it hurt people th